Until the End of Time: The Cut Scenes
by vinkunwildflowerqueen
Summary: Scenes and moments that didn't make the final cut of UNTIL THE END OF TIME. By request of readers.
1. Ch 14: The First Night

**AN. I've mentioned a few times that there were scenes in UtEoT that were referenced but never written. One of these was the dinner from Chapter 14 after Elphaba and Galinda become roommates. Someone on Tumblr asked if I could write the scene, and someone else requested to hear about the girls' first night as roommates. It was easier to combine the two.**

 **So here we are, what I'm calling the "cut scenes" (because they were cut from UtEoT. Hence the artwork for this story's cover. I know. I'm hilarious).**

 **Cut From Chapter 14: The First Dinner**

Late afternoon, Fiyero entered the suite and dumped the box in his arms on the ground. It fell with a heavy thud, making Elphaba, Galinda and Boq all jump.

"Is that books you've got in there or bricks?" he complained to Elphaba.

She rolled her eyes, straightening up as she finished making the bed. "You poor baby. You carried them up _one_ whole flight of stairs."

Fiyero grinned. "What's your point? Anyway, this is the last box."

Elphaba's shoulders eased slightly. "Really? Ok. I'll just go do a final check before I take my key back to the administration building."

She sighed slowly, hoping luck would be on her side enough to avoid a final meeting with Pinar. She wasn't hopeful.

"She's not back yet," Fiyero volunteered as she moved to the door as though he'd read her mind.

Elphaba blinked in surprise but threw him a grateful smile. "I'll be back in a minute."

She hurried down the stairs and into her, now, former room. Her side was now as empty as the day it had been when she'd moved in last fall. Although she was sure she hadn't missed anything in her packing, she surveyed the closet, nightstand, desk drawers and bathroom to make sure nothing had been forgotten.

Everything was empty, but she still frowned. A small part of her had been hoping she'd come across the things that had gone missing over the last semester- the things she suspected Pinar had taken. She'd hoped the events of the bonfire might have inspired a small amount of remorse in Pinar. But apparently that was too much to hope for.

Looking around the empty room, Elphaba sighed and then left the room, closing the door behind her and hurrying over to the administration building to return the key.

It was official now, she was Galinda Upland's roommate. The thought was still bizarre in Elphaba's mind. Galinda had been more than accommodating during the day while Boq and Fiyero carried bags and boxes upstairs. She'd put herself in charge of organising Elphaba's closet, albeit according to her own personal system. Elphaba wasn't sure what the system was exactly and was sure she'd never be able to find anything, but she appreciated it none the less.

It was already darkening as she headed back towards Crage Hall. It had taken rather longer than she'd thought to move her things upstairs and unpacked, and aside from a quick break for coffee and then lunch, they hadn't stopped.

When she entered the suite, Fiyero was pinning something to her the corkboard which he'd hung on the wall. As he stepped back, she saw it was the note he'd written her the morning after the bonfire, which made her smile.

"None of us are game to touch your books," Fiyero informed her when he saw her saw standing there. "I'm sure you have some odd system that makes sense to no one but you."

Elphaba laughed. "Organised by genre, and then alphabetical by the author's surname within the genre," she replied. "Not that odd. Why, how do you organise your bookshelves?"

He shrugged. "I just put them on the shelves so they fit."

"Then how do you find anything?" Elphaba demanded, and he shrugged.

"Mine are organised by size," Boq offered.

That was a more acceptable system in Elphaba's mind, although she still had questions. Instead, she looked around the room.

"Is it just the books left to be unpacked?" she asked.

"I think so," Galinda agreed. "I put your things in the bathroom. I cleared out a drawer for you."

Elphaba decided not to point out that there were three drawers.

"Thank you," she said instead.

Fiyero sat himself on Elphaba's freshly made bed, shifting aside a box of her books so he had more room.

"So, dinner?" he proposed. "A little Moving Day festivation? My shout."

Elphaba glanced wistfully at the boxes of books. She didn't think she'd feel quite settled until they were unpacked.

"Sure," she agreed. "I'll just run down and let Nessa and Xia know."

"Boq? Galinda?"

Galinda hesitated. "I was planning on going to the _OzDust_ tonight with Pfannee and Shen-Shen… but I suppose I could always meet them afterwards."

Elphaba wanted to be optimistic about her new roommate situation, but she was relatively sure it was Fiyero's presence- and dime- that had swayed Galinda to accept the invitation.

"I'm in," Boq was quick to add. "Where shall we go?"

"Ooh, let's go to _Idylliah!"_ Galinda suggested, naming the most expensive restaurant in town.

"Or we could go to _Willowbranch?"_ Boq suggested tentatively.

" _Willowbranch?"_

"The all-you-can-eat place near the church?"

Fiyero nodded. "Oh yeah. Good food. Dumb name. I vote the pub."

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "The _pub?"_ she repeated carefully, as though she'd never heard of such a place.

Fiyero grinned broadly at Elphaba. "Yeah, I think we should definishly go to the pub."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile. "The pub is fine. I'll go tell Nessa."

She headed downstairs to Nessa and Xia's room, tapping lightly on the door.

"How's the move going?" Nessa asked her upon opening the door.

"Done," Elphaba said, the relief in her tone palpable. "And I'm mostly unpacked. We're going to take a break and go to dinner at the pub. Do you and Xia want to come?"

"Sure," Nessa agreed immediately. "Xia has a date," she said, glancing back over her shoulder towards the room. "But I'll come. Who else is coming? Fiyero, I presume."

"Fiyero's paying," Elphaba replied. "Boq and Galinda are both coming."

Nessa's eyebrows rose slightly. "Galinda's coming?" she repeated in surprise. "To dinner at the _pub?"_

Elphaba grinned. "Yeah. Fiyero's idea."

Nessa giggled faintly. "Alright. When are we going?"

"However long it takes Galinda to get ready," came Fiyero's voice from behind Elphaba.

She turned and saw him and Boq coming down the hall. Fiyero handed Elphaba her bag and outerwear, flashing Nessa a grin.

"Galinda's just changing. She asked me what the dress code is for a pub," he chuckled, his eyes twinkling.

Elphaba looked at him pointedly. "And what exactly did you tell her?"

He looked at her in mock hurt. "Come on, Fae. Don't look at me like that. I gave her a serious answer. Didn't I, Boq?"

"He did," Boq confirmed.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Nessa's going to come, but Xia has other plans."

Fiyero nodded. "Sure. I told Galinda we'd meet her down here. She said she wouldn't be long, so I figure it'll be what, like five or ten minutes?"

Elphaba and Nessarose scoffed in unison.

It was twenty-five minutes before Galinda hurried downstairs to join them. "Shall we go to dinner?" she asked brightly.

As they walked into town, Galinda and Nessarose made polite conversation. Boq chimed in wherever he got an opportunity, but Elphaba was content to walk in silence. Fiyero contributed to the conversation a bit, usually to make a joke, his arm slung around Elphaba's shoulders and brushing his thumb over her fingers as she reached up to entwine her fingers with his.

He shared a grin with Elphaba as they approached _The Hare and Turtle_ and Galinda regarded the building sceptically. Elphaba and Fiyero led the way inside and over to the booth where they had sat for his interview, Elphaba only pausing to grab some menus from the bar.

"The macaroni and cheese is great," Fiyero told them.

Galinda accepted the menu from Elphaba and opened it gingerly.

"The lasagne is also good," Elphaba told her, taking pity on her new roommate.

Once they'd ordered and were waiting for the food to arrive, Fiyero decided to help Elphaba and Galinda bond.

"So, Galinda," he began. "What kind of books do you read?"

Galinda blinked at him, and Elphaba shot him a quizzical glance.

"Common ground," he hissed at her before returning his full attention to Galinda, looking at her expectantly.

"I like romance novels," Galinda offered, a little tentatively. "Tyme Tamme is my favourite."

Nessa's face lit up. "Oh, I _love_ her books!" she exclaimed brightly. " _The Frost's Echo_ is my favourite."

Galinda beamed at her. "That is a good one. But I think _The Sixth Soldier_ is my favourite of hers."

"That's Elphaba's favourite too, right, Fabala?" Nessa asked her sister.

"It is," Elphaba confirmed.

Galinda frowned slightly, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands as she looked to Elphaba.

"I'm a little surprised you like romance novels," she admitted. "I mean, you don't believe in soul mates, or love at first sight."

Elphaba wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "I read a lot of things," she said simply.

"I also like the _Kit Kappa_ files. The mystery series? Which I don't always like mystery novels, but I like that series," Galinda offered.

"I've read some of those," Fiyero contributed.

Elphaba looked to him in surprise. "You have?"

The _Kit Kappa Files_ series was more typically read by girls. Fiyero shrugged and Elphaba grinned.

"You read them to impress a girl, didn't you?"

"The first two, yeah," Fiyero admitted. "And it worked too. But then I actually got into them."

Elphaba laughed.

"I read them too," Boq offered, glancing shyly at Galinda. "My sisters like them."

"You have sisters?" Galinda asked him, and he flushed under her direct attention.

"One older, one younger," he mumbled.

Galinda whipped around back to Fiyero. "You're an only child, aren't you?"

Fiyero shrugged modestly. "Yeah, well. When you get-"

Elphaba looked at him pointedly and he sighed, amending his answer. "Yes, I am."

Galinda frowned at them quizzically, and Nessa giggled.

"Don't worry," she reassured her. "You get used to that."

As they ate, there was a steady stream of conversation. Galinda was happy to answer Fiyero and Nessa's questions about her hobbies and interests. She and Nessa had the same Sociology class this semester, which was what Galinda was majoring in.

"It's really interesting. And I like my Philosophy classes too. But that History class I took last semester? _So_ boring."

"So, what are you planning on doing after you finish school?" Elphaba asked her.

Galinda looked thoughtful. "I'm still deciding. Maybe something in public relations or working for some kind of charity. I'm _so_ good at planning parties and events, so I think that would be fun. Or, I could be a guidance counsellor. I mean, look at my column in the paper. I give _great_ advice. Shouldn't I do something with that? Like, I could be a _life coach!"_ she exclaimed, her eyes alight.

"Wouldn't you hire me as a life coach?" she demanded of them.

"I would," Boq replied immediately. "I think you'd be wonderful as a life coach."

She beamed at him. "Thank you, Bick. That's so sweet."

"What kind of charity would you want to work for?" Elphaba asked in interest.

It wasn't the answer that she had expected.

Galinda merely shrugged. "I don't know. But I think it's the best use of my talents. Momsie and Popsicle let me plan our yearly New Year's Eve Party since I was sixteen, you know. I mean, I'm also very good at making scrapbooks, but I don't think I can make that as a career, can I?"

Fiyero nodded knowingly. "That's how I feel about my incredible good looks."

Galinda and Nessa giggled, but Elphaba rolled her eyes.

" _Why_ am I dating you?"

He stared at her blankly. "The aforementioned incredible good looks. I would think that was obvious, Fae."

"You know, the food here _is_ really good," Galinda broke in.

Fiyero grinned at Elphaba.

After dinner, they returned to campus and went their separate ways. Elphaba lingered behind to say goodnight to Fiyero, a little apprehensive about heading back up to her room.

"Dinner wasn't a total disaster, was it?" he asked gently, seeing her hesitation.

"No," Elphaba admitted.

"Conversation flowed…"

"Yeah, but you, Nessa and Boq were there. There was a buffer. I don't know what we're going to have to say to one another when it's just us."

Fiyero kissed her gently. "Just remember. She can't be worse than Pinar."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "I know," she agreed.

"I'll meet you for lunch tomorrow? Town or Dining Hall?"

"Let's meet in the courtyard and decide what we feel like?" Elphaba countered.

Fiyero kissed her again and headed off, as she slowly headed upstairs.

When she entered the room, Galinda was standing before her closet, flicking through her clothes.

Elphaba dumped her outerwear on her bed and picked up the closest box of books.

"It's not going to bother you if I finish unpacking, is it?" she asked cautiously.

It was only eight-thirty, but she figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

Galinda shook her head. "No. I'm going to change and head over to the _OzDust_ for a bit."

Elphaba's first instinct was to be relieved. At least she wouldn't wear out her welcome in the first night.

"Ok, good," she said lamely.

Galinda got changed in the bathroom and freshened up her makeup before grabbing her bag.

"Have a good night," she said. "With your books and all," she added, sounding a little sceptical to Elphaba's ears.

Elphaba smiled faintly. "You too," she replied, choosing not to point out that an evening organising her books actually sounded like a great night to her mind.

Once Galinda had left, Elphaba let out a breath and looked around the suite. The room was no less overbearingly pink than it had been before Elphaba had moved her things in, but she already felt more settled than she ever had in the room with Pinar.

And Fiyero had been right, dinner was a good idea. She'd actually learned a lot about Galinda- like she played tennis and had won equestrian competitions. She and Fiyero had had a ten minute conversation about ballroom dancing- although it had been Fiyero complaining about it, and Galinda reminiscing with fondness about the debutante balls she'd attended.

She spent the next hour and a half organising her books to her liking, before showering and getting ready for bed.

After rooming with Pinar for so long, she had rather expected that Galinda wouldn't return from the _OzDust_ until the early hours of the morning. But it was just shy of eleven o'clock when the door opened and Galinda let herself in.

"Hi!" she greeted Elphaba brightly. "Wow, the room looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

"It does," Elphaba agreed.

Galinda turned slowly, studying the room. "I had that poster over there," she said, pointing to a framed poster of a kitten sitting in a sparkly shoe that hung above her vanity.

"But I think it looks so much better where it is now. What are you reading?"

"Just a novel," Elphaba replied. She paused for a moment then added, "How was the _OzDust?"_

"Really fun, but I'm _so_ tired now. Shen-Shen and Ryx, did you know she was seeing Ryx? He's a third-year. They had a _huge_ fight in the middle of the dance floor, so we had to deal with _that_ mess. But I think it's all sorted now. I'm going to go get ready for bed."

Elphaba blinked slightly as Galinda disappeared into the bathroom, suddenly feeling very tired. It was too soon to tell how it was going to go with Galinda as her roommate, but she had the feeling it wouldn't be boring.


	2. Ch 19: The Night Before

**AN. J** **aielphiebeckett requested this scene, although this isn't quite what you wanted I know! I did try, but it wasn't coming out right. So you get the establishment of the scene instead, sorry!**

 **Cut From Chapter 19: The Night Before**

Elphaba and Nessa were both thrillified at the prospect of seeing their family for a day, even if Elphaba was a little apprehensive about how Frex would react to Fiyero. Her father tended to be overprotective.

The morning before they would arrive, Elphaba was walking across the courtyard with Nessa and Xia when a hand reached around her waist and Fiyero smoothly fell into step beside them.

"Hey."

Elphaba looked over to him. "Hey yourself. I thought you were going for drinks with the boys?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Yeah, I'm on my way. Came to see you first."

Elphaba smiled softly as he leaned over to kiss her.

Nessa shivered. "I don't like this wind. The forecast promised sunshine tomorrow, didn't it?"

"Sunshine and warmth," Elphaba said happily, rubbing her left arm slightly.

"I think it's going to rain all night though," Fiyero said, raising his eyes towards the sky. He nudged Elphaba gently.

"We still on for dinner tonight?"

She nodded. "Sure. Seven?"

He grinned. "I'll see you then."

He kissed her again quickly, waved to Nessa and Xia and headed off.

"What are you going to do for the rest of the day then?" Nessa asked her.

Elphaba sighed. "I've got a Philosophy assessment to work on. Galinda's off with Milla, so I'll have the room to myself."

Nessa grimaced. "Yeah, I've got some work to do myself. I don't want to have anything to do tomorrow."

Elphaba bid Nessa and Xia farewell, and after grabbing some coffee and some food, settled in to do her school work. Over the course of the afternoon, the sky outside steadily darkened and she began to doubt the promised sunshine that was forecast for tomorrow. It began to rain at dusk and the wind whistled.

When Fiyero knocked on the door at seven o'clock that night, Elphaba greeted him with a wan smile.

"Hey. You ready?"

Fiyero frowned at her. "Yeah. Are you ok? How's your arm?"

"It aches a little," Elphaba admitted.

More than a little, Fiyero would wager, noting the pale touch in her cheeks.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How's your leg?" she countered.

Fiyero grinned. "Fine."

Elphaba stepped out into the hall and pulled on her coat. Fiyero reached out and took her scarf from her, gently wrapping it around her neck.

"How about I grab us some food and we eat in my suite?" Fiyero suggested, brushing a thumb along her jawline. "We can light the fire. It'll be good for your arm."

Elphaba only hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Sure."

Fiyero handed her his room key while he went to get them food, and Elphaba had the fire going by the time he returned.

"Do you think this will blow over by morning?" Elphaba asked him as they unpacked the food.

"Sure," Fiyero assured her. "Don't worry. When you wake up in the morning, it'll be blue sky and sunshine."

Elphaba smiled faintly.

The warmth of the fire did ease the ache in her arm somewhat, but she still found herself rubbing it as they sat on the couch after eating.

Fiyero watched her for a few moments and then wordlessly got up and left the room. When he returned, he was carrying a small jar.

"What's that?" Elphaba asked, eyeing it warily.

"It's this ointment that I got to put on my leg when it hurts," Fiyero explained. "I have no idea what's in it, but I swear it works."

He sat down beside her and unscrewed the lid.

"Roll up your sleeve," he ordered gently.

Elphaba obeyed, offering her left arm to him. Fiyero scooped some of the ointment into his fingers and began to gently massage it into her arm.

"How did it happen?"

She looked to him in surprise. "You said Nessa told you."

"She did," Fiyero allowed. "But she was a little fuzzy on the details. And I'd rather hear it from you."

Elphaba sighed, resting her head against the back of the couch.

"I was nine," she said. "And I was at school. We were doing some kind of writing exercise… I don't really remember what anymore. But I hadn't finished by the time we went out for recess, so Ismene- Miss Fairchild- let me keep working while everyone else went outside. When I went to go outside, these boys blocked my way."

Fiyero frowned, still massaging her arm. "Why?"

"To be assholes?" Elphaba guessed. "They didn't really need a reason, Yero. Anyway, they said some horrendible things, none of which I recall now. I pushed past them to go outside and one of them stuck his foot out and tripped me. I fell down the steps. Broke my arm, hit my head, bruised a few ribs."

She turned her head, staring into the flames distantly.

"The rest of it is all a blur now," she mused. "I remember the pain, but I don't remember getting to the hospital or anything. The cast went all the way up to here," she said, tracing up her arm to almost near her shoulder.

"Annalie turned up at some point, and she said that my father was on his way."

Elphaba frowned. "I remember thinking that was weird. She was so sure that he was about to turn up, and back then… I wasn't exactly Papa's first priority."

Or any number priority.

"But he didn't turn up?" Fiyero guessed.

She shook her head. "No. And I wasn't surprised."

Fiyero's eyes darkened and he tugged her forward so that she sat on his lap and he tenderly cupped her face in his hands.

"If anything happened to you, I'd be there without hesitation," he promised her.

Elphaba leaned down and kissed him deeply. "You _were_ there," she reminded him.

If anything good had come from the night of the bonfire, it was that.

She could have also pointed out that Frex also wouldn't hesitate to be at her side now if something happened, but she appreciated the sentiment.

Fiyero kissed her softly and Elphaba slid her arms around his shoulders, deepening the kiss. Fiyero ran his thumb along her jawline and trailed his fingers down the curve of her neck. As he brushed over the pulse point in her neck, she drew in her breath slightly. Fiyero fought back the urge to smile and instead broke off the kiss, lowering his head slightly to brush his lips against the same spot.

Her breath hitched again, a faint murmur falling from her lips that made Fiyero's grip on her tighten involuntarily.

He pulled back once more, let out his breath slowly and brushed her hair back. As he tucked a lock behind her ear, he paused for a moment to make sure the words _'I love you'_ weren't about to accidentally fall from his lips. Not now.

"How's your arm?" he asked instead.

Elphaba blinked. "Why?"

Fiyero did allow himself to grin then. "Just checking."

"How's your leg?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Doesn't bother me when I don't think about it. Distraction, you know?"

Elphaba cocked an eyebrow. "I'm a distraction?"

Fiyero's grin broadened. "The best kind of distraction," he reassured her and drew her lips back to his.

Elphaba didn't really complain after that.

 **AN. I've been working on a few of these for a while, and admittedly struggled for a bit. Then I realised I was trying to make them oneshots, when they're only supposed to be missing/cut scenes. They'd never be a whole chapter on their own, just part of one. So I gave myself permission to make them only as long as they needed to be.**

 **A usual chapter for me is between 3000-6000 words. These will probably be between 1000-2000 words.**


	3. Ch 11: The Bonfire

**AN. I think it was Ozian-in-Australia who asked to see Fiyero's perspective of the bonfire. So, here it is!**

 **Cut from Chapter 11: The Bonfire**

Even as Fiyero laughed and joked with his friends, debating which team would win the football game the next weekend, he wasn't completely _there._

A surprisingly large portion of his attention was over with Elphaba, wondering what she was doing. They'd had fun today- however reluctantly on Elphaba's part, he was sure. And he was still mulling over what she'd revealed to him about her childhood.

He didn't know what Elphaba had been like as a child, but he could only imagine that she was the same impossibly brilliant, passionate person he'd come to know in the past month. He found it difficult to fathom how people could treat her so coldly because of the colour of her skin, let alone her own father. His parents had always been ridiculously supportive throughout everything he'd done in the past few years, he didn't think they would have treated him any different for having different coloured skin. So how could Elphaba's father?

More importantly, how had it taken nearly ten years before he'd realised how wrong that was?

After Elphaba had left him, he'd briefly wondered what would have happened to her if he _hadn't_ made that realisation, but then pushed that thought away. He hadn't met Elphaba's father yet, he had no idea what the man was like. And Elphaba had been very firm on the fact that she loved her father dearly.

"Yero?"

Fiyero blinked and turned to his friend. "Sorry. Got distracted."

"You coming to the bonfire?"

Fiyero nodded and drained his drink. "Yeah, let's go."

The night was cold and the air hit Fiyero in the face as they left the pub and headed towards the column of smoke in the distance.

As they drew closer, they saw a sizeable crowd around the bonfire.

"Bigger turnout than last year," remarked someone. Fiyero wasn't sure who.

"Bigger bonfire?" someone else joked.

Fiyero frowned amidst the laughter that followed. For a festive bonfire, the crowd seemed oddly quiet and… not very festive.

"What's going on?" he asked no one in particular.

He left the others behind as they joined the crowd, peering over heads to stare in the direction everyone else seemed to be looking in.

"What's going on?" he asked again.

"The green girl wrote a book," sniggered a girl next to him.

Fiyero's stomach clenched. This couldn't be good.

"Excuse me," he said to the girl, pushing past her to get a better look.

He squeezed past a few more people until he had a clear line of sight. Elphaba was standing before the fire, facing off against Pinar, who looked entirely too smug for Fiyero's liking. Frowning, he noticed Nessarose and the Munchkin boy who worked with Elphaba on the _Gazette_ (Boq? He was pretty sure his name was Boq) standing a little behind Elphaba.

The Munchkin was watching the scene with wide eyes, and Nessa looked about to cry. Fiyero's frown deepened and he began to push through the crowd towards her. When he reached them, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's happening?" he asked once more, ignoring as she jumped slightly at his touch.

"Pinar," Nessa replied hoarsely. "She's got Elphaba's book."

Pinar rolled her eyes as she spoke.

"She's bluffing!" someone behind Fiyero called out.

"Bluffing?" Fiyero started to ask and then it happened.

Pinar turned towards her friends and the notebook in her hand was tossed into the depths of the bonfire. Fiyero followed its fall like a football being kicked towards a goal to score the winning point, his chest tightening as he held his breath involuntarily. And then it disappeared from view, and like a football game, the world around him dissolved into a roar of sound.

Gasps filled the air in every direction, but Fiyero only heard the cry that came from Elphaba, a sound he'd never heard anyone make before. He couldn't even begin to describe it.

He was already moving forward when he saw her reach towards the flames. As her arm began to descend, he leapt forward and wrapped his arm around her, drawing her arm back from the flames and pinning it to her side. Her body was stiff and he looked around at her to see her face was ashen, her eyes staring unseeingly into the flames.

"Fae?" Fiyero asked lowly, his face by her ear.

She said nothing. She didn't move.

"Come on, Fae," he said gently, pulling her away from the flames.

She stumbled slightly and he quickly steadied her around the waist, causing her to sag against his hand somewhat.

"Fae, come on," he said again, gently pulling her back but she only sagged against him more, her knees buckling.

"Elphaba," he said, louder this time as he shook her shoulder a little. "Come on, let's go. Let's get you out of here."

He didn't think she heard him. Fiyero squeezed her shoulder, trying to catch her gaze.

Fiyero looked around. Nessa was crying, her face almost as pale as Elphaba's as the boy tried to comfort her.

"What's wrong with her?" Nessa demanded as she caught his gaze.

"She's probably in shock," Fiyero replied smoothly, trying to think of a plan.

They had to get Elphaba out of here. There were too many people. And there was nothing anyone could do. He turned to the Munchkin. "It's Boq, right?"

The boy blinked, looking startled at being addressed and nodded. Fiyero gestured for him to step forward.

"Grab her other side, will you."

Boq nodded again and hurried to Elphaba's other side. As they turned Elphaba away from the bonfire, Fiyero caught a glimpse of Pinar standing there surrounded by her posse, a glint of triumph in her eyes lit by the flames. Fiyero's eyes narrowed as fury rose in his gut, but this wasn't the time to give voice to the tirade screaming from a corner of his brain. He had to take care of Elphaba first.

Nessarose wheeled herself before them, her wheelchair parting the gathered crowd like a boulder parting water. The further they got from the fire, the more Fiyero became aware of Elphaba trembling beneath his hands. Her movements were stiff and slow, and his grip tightened on her as her breaths came more ragged, as though she couldn't catch her breath.

Boq clearly noticed it too, and his eyes darted up to Fiyero in panic.

Fiyero nodded to him reassuringly and stopped walking, drawing Elphaba to a halt alongside him.

"I've got her," he said to Boq, placing a hand behind her knees and scooping her into his arms.

Elphaba didn't protest or make any coherent sound beyond the uneven murmurs that might have been shivers or sobs. He wasn't sure.

"What do we do?" Nessa asked them, wiping her eyes with a shaking hand.

"If she's in shock, she needs to be warm," Fiyero said brusquely, starting to walk again.

Boq took up the handles of Nessa's chair, pushing her along as her gaze was fixed on her sister.

"I don't think her room is the best place to be right now," Nessa said. "What about the nurse?"

"Is the nurse even around at this time of night?" Boq asked.

Fiyero had no idea.

"We can take her to my suite," he offered. "I've got a fireplace."

Nessa nodded. "Ok."

Elphaba rested her head on Fiyero's shoulder.

"Is she asleep?" Fiyero asked.

Boq glanced over. "She might have fainted. I don't know."

Fiyero nodded, increasing his pace.

The walk back to campus and to Briscoe Hall had never seemed so long. Elphaba wasn't exactly heavy, but by the time they reached his building, Fiyero's arms were aching.

"I'll take Fae up and come back for you," Fiyero said to Nessa as they entered the foyer.

She nodded, her eyes still fixed on Elphaba's still form.

Boq followed Fiyero upstairs to open the door to his suite for him, hovering in the doorway as Fiyero gently lay Elphaba on the couch. Fiyero couldn't help himself from gently touching her pale cheek.

"Is she ok?" Boq asked.

Fiyero shook his head. "I don't know… but she's breathing."

There was no reason why she shouldn't be, but it still gave him comfort to watch her chest fall and rise.

"Let's get Nessa up here," he said and headed for the door.

Once Nessa and her chair had been brought upstairs, Fiyero hurried to grab a blanket to lay over Elphaba while Boq got the fire going. Nessa helped him remove her coat and outerwear before he made sure the blanket was securely around her.

"Maybe we should send for the nurse," Fiyero said worriedly. "Just to check, you know?"

"We could ask Xia to come?" Nessa suggested. "She's a trained nurse."

"I could go get her," Boq offered rather quickly.

Fiyero thought he seemed relieved to be able to offer to do something and he didn't blame him. Fiyero felt utterly useless.

He crouched down beside the couch as Nessa gave Boq directions to her room, watching Elphaba carefully. He heard the door shut quietly as Boq left and the faint sound of Nessa wheeling herself closer to the couch.

"I don't know whether or not to try and wake her up or just let her be," he admitted.

"Xia will know," Nessa said quietly.

Fiyero looked over his shoulder to her. "How are you?"

"I'm not used to seeing her this… still," Nessa admitted. "And the look on her face after…"

Fiyero glanced back to Elphaba. "Should I get her another blanket? A pillow?" he wondered aloud.

Nessa, for the first time since he'd seen her that night, smiled. "I think she's fine, Fiyero. Temperature wise," she amended, her face sobering.

Elphaba clearly wasn't fine, and certainly wasn't going to fine when she woke up.

Boq and Xia arrived within five minutes and Xia hurried over to the couch to check Elphaba. While she was examining her, Fiyero turned to Boq and Nessa.

"What actually happened? Before I got there, I mean."

"I don't know much," Nessa replied. "Elphaba came and found me, she said that she'd lost her notebook. We were on our way back to school to look for it when Boq found us."

They both looked to the Munchkin, who cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Pinar turned up at the bonfire with her friends and told everyone she had something of Elphaba's that everyone should see. I- I've seen Elphaba write in that notebook sometimes in the _Gazette_ office, I thought it might be her diary or something."

"It was a novel."

The boys looked to Nessa, who gazed over at her sister.

"She's been writing a novel for the past few years. That's what the notebook was."

Although that's what people had been saying at the bonfire, Fiyero still felt faintly sick. That explained a few things.

"Have you read it?"

Nessa looked both surprised and confused at the question. "I- yes."

"Is it good?"

Nessa blinked and her eyes swam with tears. "It's really good," she nodded, her voice shaking a little.

Fiyero nodded and sank down to sit on the arm of the couch.

"Is she ok?" he asked Xia.

"Physically, yes." Xia answered. "She's had a shock. She'll wake when she's ready."

"Is there anything I can do?" Fiyero asked anxiously.

Xia smiled. "You got her here, Fiyero. She's safe and she's warm. You did everything right."

Fiyero glanced at Elphaba uncertainly.

"Really, all we can do now is wait for her to wake up," Xia continued. "Why don't we have some tea while we wait? I think we could all use some. Fiyero, would you mind if I used your kitchen?"

Fiyero blinked and turned back to her. "Er, no not at all. Except…"

Explaining his kitchen was empty and had never been used was always going to be a little awkward.

 **AN. Fae'sFlower has also informed me the 2018 Greg Awards are here, and she asked me to spread the word. So, here's me... spreading words.**

 **Go to her profile for more info!**


	4. Ch 11: A Revelation

**AN. The response to the final UtEoT chapter, once again, blew me away. I am so grateful for all of you!**

 **I don't know if anyone actually requested this, it just kind of happened as a follow on from the last one. This is a short but sweet one.**

 **Cut From Chapter 11: A Revelation**

Fiyero changed into his pyjamas, brushed his teeth and locked the door before settling himself onto the couch with the pillow and blankets. The couch wasn't quite long enough for him to unfold his legs completely, which hadn't been an issue until now. He'd never intended to use the couch for sleeping- except maybe the odd nap.

But these were special circumstances.

He shifted on the cushions, trying to get comfortable in a position with the blankets covering him and sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

The look on Elphaba's face that night was burned into his brain. The _grief_ in her eyes as she'd talked about her novel. He'd never seen anything like it before. Fiyero didn't think he'd ever felt so passionate about anything as Elphaba did about her writing. Aside from his parents (which could be said for most people), he didn't think there was anything in his life that would cause him such grief and pain as he'd seen on her face tonight if he were to lose it.

 _Except for Elphaba._

Fiyero sat bolt upright on the couch, his eyes widening. Where had _that_ come from?!

Elphaba had become a friend since he'd come to Shiz, absolutely. Her friendship was important to him, yes. But if she wasn't in his life, how much would it hurt him?

Fiyero tossed the blankets aside and swung his legs off the couch, sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees.

Well, this was new.

He'd only known Elphaba for a little over a month and he was so glad they were friends. She made him think more about things, made him try harder. She was brilliant, driven and passionate about so many things, and he loved the way she saw the world. He loved the way she saw _him_ and saw through all his crap.

He loved her.

Fiyero jumped to his feet as though struck by lightning. That was ridiculous. He didn't love Elphaba. It wasn't possible. She was his friend. Maybe his best friend. That was all.

Pacing before the fire, Fiyero began to mentally list every reason why he was wrong. Why it was just not possible that he loved Elphaba. They were just friends. He'd never loved any girl he'd dated before, how could he love Elphaba, when they weren't even dating?

 _But,_ a little voice in his head whispered, _how did it feel when you carried her up here? It felt right, didn't it? Or when you hugged her?_

Fiyero's fingers twitched a little at the memory. He hadn't planned on hugging her earlier, but she'd been shaking and upset, and he was at a loss for anything to say that could make her feel better. He hadn't been able to completely ignore that she had fit against his side perfectly in a way Fiyero was sure he'd never thought about any girl he'd previously dated. As if she was meant to be there.

And all his arguments melted away. He loved Elphaba. It was as simple as that. He loved Elphaba. Who was currently sleeping in his bed.

"Shit," Fiyero muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face.

As though his epiphany had suddenly enhanced his hearing, Fiyero stilled in his pacing and cocked an ear towards his bedroom door, moving closer to the door hesitantly. There it was again- a distinctly muffled sob.

Fiyero's heart ached at the sound, and without thinking, his hand stretched out towards the door handle. He drew his hand back at the last second though, faltering. He'd seen Elphaba hold back her tears, watched as she held herself together determinedly in front of him. She wouldn't want him to go in there. As much as he wanted to, as much as it killed him not to, he couldn't open that door.

Murmuring another curse under his breath, Fiyero stepped back and returned to the couch, positioning himself so that he could see the bedroom door, as though he could mentally will Elphaba the comfort that he couldn't provide her in person.

Swallowing back a groan, Fiyero sighed and leaned his head back, returning his gaze to the ceiling.

It was ironic, really. The first time there was a girl in his bed whom he loved… and he was out on the couch. But questions still remained. What did he do now? Was there any chance Elphaba felt anything for him beyond friendship?

She had kissed him last week. Only on the cheek, but she had kissed him. It had taken Fiyero by surprise at the time, but he'd brushed it off as a gesture of friendship and gratitude.

He remembered the blush that had bloomed in her cheeks when he'd presented her with the rose- had it really only been that morning? He hadn't really dwelled in it at the time, but now, it gave him a small flicker of hope.

 _Enchantment,_ the girl at the fair had told him as he'd surveyed the collection of roses available. Purple roses signified enchantment. And it had seemed so appropriate, to sum up the way he felt about Elphaba from when they'd met. She'd enchanted him, and he'd had to know more about her. If she only felt friendship for him, was that going to be enough?

There was also the small matter that really, his timing could not be worse. Not when Elphaba was a few feet away crying. In his bed.

Fiyero groaned again, rolling over and burying his face into his pillow. He got the feeling he wasn't going to be sleeping much tonight.


	5. Ch 37-38: Sleeping Arrangements

**AN. Requested by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies.**

 **Missing Scene Between Chapter 37 and Chapter 38: Sleeping Arrangements**

The house always seemed to get brighter before Elphaba and Nessarose came home for vacation. Annalie and Nikita always fussed around, making sure their rooms had fresh linen and flowers awaiting them, and their favourite baked goods.

This year, things were slightly different. It was the middle of summer, and Nessa had been home for a month already, while Elphaba visited the Vinkus as a guest of Fiyero's parents. From her letters, she was having a wonderful time, but Annalie and Frex were missing her dreadfully. They hadn't seen Elphaba since Lurlinemas, as the girls and Fiyero had spent their spring vacation in the Glikkus, so that Fiyero could meet Lilou and Pim.

Frex and Annalie had gained a sudden insight into their future. They realised, barring any horrendible heartbreak, eventually at some point Elphaba would be living in the Vinkus and visits would be rare. It had hit them both hard, and Frex in particular was anxious to have his daughter home. But she would be home tomorrow, accompanied by Fiyero, and Galinda would be likewise coming to stay in a few days until they went back to Shiz.

As Frex entered his bedroom the night before Elphaba and Fiyero were due to arrive, he found the room empty. However, a light was on down the hall and there he found Annalie in Elphaba's room, fussing over the vase of flowers on the nightstand.

"I want it to be perfect," she explained once she'd spotted Frex in the doorway. "It's her first time seeing the new bed."

It had been their birthday gift to Elphaba that year, but she had yet to be home to see it, let alone sleep in it.

"It's a bed, Anna," Frex pointed out to her.

"It's still her birthday present," Annalie argued.

She pushed a few stray hairs back from her face, looked around the room and nodded in satisfaction.

"There. Now everything's set," she beamed at him. "Nikita's going to bake cookies tomorrow morning, the ones Fiyero liked when he was here last summer? She wanted them to be as fresh as possible. But other than that, everything is ready."

She turned off the light and left the room, pausing only to check on Tomaz before entering their bedroom.

"What about the guest room?" Fiyero asked her.

"It's ready for when Galinda arrives," Annalie confirmed, sitting at the vanity to unpin her hair.

Fiyero frowned. "I thought Galinda was going to be sleeping in Xia's room?" he frowned.

Annalie chuckled. "Xia will be back from her vacation while Galinda's still here," she reminded him, pulling out the last of the hair pins.

Frex frowned deeper. "So, if she's in the guest room, where is Fiyero sleeping?"

Annalie's fingers stilled for a moment in the middle of reaching for her hairbrush. "Frex," she said gently.

It dawned on him slowly and Annalie watched in the mirror as what could only be described as a pained grimace spread across his face as he slowly sat down on the bed.

"Anna-"

"Frex, they're adults," she cut him off.

Frex's eyes fell shut and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Annalie," he said finally. "Tell me that I did not buy a bed for my daughter's birthday so that she can sleep with her boyfriend under my roof."

Annalie said nothing and when Frex opened his eyes, she had turned around to face him, her face a picture of innocence and sympathy.

" _Annalie."_

"Frex, she is twenty-three years old," Annalie reminded him. "Fiyero is twenty-five. They love each other. You bought Elphaba a bed for her birthday because she needed a new bed. It just happens Fiyero will be sleeping in it."

Frex didn't buy it. "And you weren't planning on telling me? The boy's going to be staying in my house for three weeks and you didn't think I wasn't going to know where he was sleeping?"

Annalie rolled her eyes. " _'The boy'?"_ she repeated. "Frex, you _like_ Fiyero. You know it, I know it and Elphaba knows it."

Frex sighed. He did like Fiyero. He just liked him a lot more before he knew that the prince was sleeping with his daughter.

"And if you say any of that 'in my house' or 'under my roof' stuff to Elphaba, she's going to be furious with you and you know it," Annalie pointed out.

Frex did know that.

Annalie got up from the vanity and climbed into bed, settling against the pillows and reaching for her book on the nightstand.

"You don't need to worry, darling. They love each other, and they're being safe. Elphaba has no desire to have a baby while she's still in school, and I highly doubt Fiyero does either."

Frex narrowed his eyes at his wife. "You know this how?"

"Elphaba told me, of course."

"When?" Frex demanded.

"Over Lurlinemas."

Annalie glanced up at him over the top of her book and her face softened at the look on his face.

"Frex, don't be upset. You know how much Fabala loves you, but can you really blame her for not wanting to talk about this with you?"

Frex rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. "It's not that," he said heavily.

Annalie put her book down. "Well, what is it?"

"It's just another reminder that she's grown up. How much longer is it going to be before she moves out for good? Before they get married?"

"I don't know," Annalie admitted. "I think those are questions for them. Elphaba hasn't said anything about it to me."

Frex got ready for bed silently and then climbed into bed himself.

"Is out of line to ask Fiyero what his intentions are?"

"You know his intentions," Annalie reminded him, returning to her book. "He intends to marry her."

Even if Fiyero had yet to explicitly say so to Frex and Annalie, they'd known that since he'd released that statement last fall.

"Is it out of line to ask when?"

She chuckled. "No, I don't think so. But he may not have an answer for you."

That was rather what Frex was hoping to hear, but he wouldn't admit that to his wife.


	6. Ch 37-38: Homecoming

**AN. This was supposed be posted for Christmas. And then for New Year's. Belated Season's Greetings to everyone! I hope 2019 is full of wonderful things for you all. Also, I've been informed I received a few nominations for the 2018 Greg Awards. Thank you very much.**

 **This "cut scene" follows on from the last, as requested by more than a few people!**

 **Missing Scene Between Chapter 37 and Chapter 38: Homecoming**

When Elphaba and Fiyero arrived from the Vinkus the next afternoon, Nessarose greeted them as though she hadn't seen them in years, as opposed to a little over a month.

"It was really odd not having you home," she confessed to her sister, when Elphaba laughingly pointed this out.

"It was odd not being home," Elphaba had to agree.

Footsteps approached and Annalie entered the room, beaming. "I thought I heard voices!" she exclaimed brightly.

"Hi, Ima," Elphaba greeted her, hugging her tightly.

"How was your trip? You made good time."

"Yeah, there wasn't much traffic," Fiyero replied.

Annalie smiled at him. "Tom's going to be thrillified you're here," she said.

"Me or Yero?" Elphaba asked.

"Fiyero," Annalie laughed.

Nessarose looked fairly disgruntled. "Remember what Ima and Papa promised him if he improved his English grade?" she asked her sister.

Elphaba's face grew wary. "Yes."

"He got an A."

Elphaba groaned and Fiyero looked at them cluelessly. "What? What was the promise?"

Tomaz ran into the living room then to tell them himself.

"Fiyero! Guess what I got?" he asked eagerly, completely ignoring Elphaba, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Hi, Tom," she said dryly, poking him lightly in the shoulder.

Tomaz didn't blink, just brushed away her hand impatiently. "Hi. Whatever. I got an art farm!"

"Really? That's cool. I used to keep earthworms as a kid," Fiyero said enthusiastically.

Elphaba stared at him blankly. _"Why?"_

Fiyero shrugged. "I thought they were cool? Why is an ant farm bad?"

"Because we don't want the farm to get broken and have ants all through the house," Nessa explained with a sigh.

"I'm not going to break it," Tomaz insisted. "Yero, come see. They've been building tunnels and everything."

Fiyero looked to Elphaba hopefully, who rolled her eyes.

"Go."

He flashed her a grin and followed Tomaz upstairs to his bedroom, while Elphaba turned to Annalie disgruntledly.

She merely laughed though. "Don't worry, Fabala. Ants only live for a few months and they're easy to care for, apparently. Tom's very interested in animals and science at the moment."

She took Elphaba by the arm and turned her towards the foyer.

"Come on. Come see your birthday present and get settled."

They picked up the luggage which had been left in the foyer and headed upstairs.

"Where's Papa?" Elphaba asked.

"A meeting at City Hall. He'll be back soon," Annalie reassured her.

She ushered Elphaba into her bedroom excitedly. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

Elphaba put down her suitcases in a corner of the room, a smile toying on her lips as she surveyed the new bed and comforter.

"Thanks, Anna. It looks great."

"I thought having the lavender comforter would make the room seem brighter," Annalie explained. "You like purple, don't you?"

"Purple is fine," Elphaba reassured her. "Really, I love it. Thank you."

Annalie's shoulders eased somewhat and she hugged Elphaba again.

"It's so good to have you home, Fabala."

"It's good to be home," Elphaba replied. "The Vinkus was great, but I missed you all."

Annalie beamed. "We missed you too. Nikita's making your favourite for dinner."

"I just want to unpack a bit," Elphaba said. "We'll be down in a minute… if I can pry Fiyero away from the ant farm."

Annalie chuckled. "Ok."

She made to leave the room, but turned back at the doorway.

"Just so you know," she said slowly, making Elphaba pause in the middle of reaching for a suitcase.

"Your father only found out last night about the sleeping arrangements."

It took a moment before understanding dawned in Elphaba's eyes, along with a faint blush.

"Oh. Ok," she said.

She and Annalie had discussed it when planning the details of the visit in letters, but Elphaba hadn't thought to ask about her father.

"It went much better than I expected," Annalie reassured her.

Elphaba frowned. "Ok," she said again, not sure what exactly that meant.

Annalie chuckled again. "I'll leave you to unpack," she said and left the room.

Elphaba quickly hung up anything she'd packed that was in danger of creasing and cleared a draw for Fiyero's things, before she retreated back up the hall to Tomaz's room, where he and Fiyero were crouched before the ant farm.

"Why ants?" she announced her presence.

"Because they're really cool," Tomaz replied. "Hey, Fabala. Did you know that ants can lift 20 times its own body weight? And they don't have ears- they feel vibrations in the ground through their feet."

"I didn't know that, no," Elphaba shook her head. "But what's the point of keeping them as pets? What do they do?"

"Nothing, really," Tomaz admitted. "They just dig tunnels and stuff. But Ima and Papa won't let me get a dog."

"So, naturally ants are the second choice," Fiyero grinned at her.

"Naturally," Elphaba chuckled.

"He has a _lot_ of books on insects," Fiyero told her in an undertone as they left Tomaz with his ants and returned to Elphaba's bedroom.

Elphaba nodded. "He studied them at school last year and really got into them, I guess. That's when he asked for the ant farm. Papa said he could have one if he improved his English grade. I suppose it could be worse," she said thoughtfully. "I think there was a brief window when he wanted a pet spider. Thank Oz Papa shut _that_ down quickly," she shuddered slightly.

Fiyero bit back a laugh, knowing how much she hated spiders.

"Ants are definitely a better pet than a spider," he agreed, grabbing one of his suitcases to unpack.

Elphaba directed him to the drawer she'd cleared for him and then settled herself on the window seat.

"Just so you know," she said after a moment, borrowing Annalie's phrasing. "Papa only just found out exactly where you're sleeping."

Fiyero caught onto her meaning much quicker than she had.

"So he knows that…"

"Anna didn't specify, but I'm assuming he knows, yes," Elphaba nodded.

Fiyero paused. "Well, your dad likes me, right?"

"Probably a little less now," Elphaba teased him with a small grin.

Fiyero looked at her warily. "Funny, Fae."

She shrugged. "He was going to find out sometime. It's like when I got my first period… it's a natural part of life, but there's just some conversations you don't want to have with your father, as a daughter."

She had been very grateful for Annalie when _that_ particular day had come.

"I'll take your word on that."

"Would you want to talk to your mom about sex?" she asked Fiyero pointedly, who grimaced.

"Not particularly, no. Not that it's a conversation I want to have with my dad, either."

When Frex returned home from his meeting, they were gathered in the living room, while Tomaz recited more "Ant Fun Facts" to his sisters, who were "not displaying the appropriate amount of enthusiasm" (Annalie's words, said laughingly) for his ant farm.

Fiyero was slightly wary as he watched Elphaba greet her father, wondering what to expect. Annalie had treated him no differently, but he knew very well by now how protective Frex was of his daughters.

"Hello, Fiyero," Frex greeted him, offering a hand to shake.

Fiyero thought he detected a slight stiffness in his tone but couldn't be certain.

"Hello, sir," Fiyero replied politely as he shook his hand.

"You're just in time for dinner," Annalie told her husband. "Nikita's about to serve."

"Good," Frex replied, a little tiredly. "Shall we move into the dining room, then?"

Dinner in the Thropp household was never particularly boisterous, but compared to Fiyero's own family dinners, it was especially loud. Everyone's excitement at having Elphaba home was palpable, as everyone recounted their summers to her and asked her a thousand questions about her time in the Vinkus.

Fortunately, Fiyero was able to answer a lot of those, and give Elphaba a chance to actually eat her meal. By the end of dessert, Elphaba was actually feeling a little overwhelmed from being the centre of her family's focus.

After dinner, when Frex retreated to his study and Annalie sat to write to her parents, Tomaz suggested to his sisters and Fiyero that they play a board game. Fiyero and Nessa agreed, but Elphaba declined in favour of watching. The long carriage journey was starting to catch up with her, and she didn't think she had the capacity to focus on a game right now. She settled herself on the couch next to Fiyero as the others set up the game around the coffee table.

"I'm going to bed," she announced eventually, uncurling herself from the couch.

Tomaz glanced at the clock. "It's only nine-thirty."

"I'm exhausted," Elphaba confessed. "It was a long trip."

"I've almost won," Fiyero reassured her. "I'll be up soon."

"You have not," Tomaz immediately protested.

Nessa intervened swiftly, handing Tomaz the dice.

"The game's not over yet. Tom, have your turn."

Elphaba shook her head faintly as she headed for the doorway. "Goodnight."

"Night, Fabala," Nessa and Tomaz chorused.

Elphaba was almost asleep by the time Fiyero entered the room once the game had finished (he had won in the end, he assured her. A sleepy murmur was all the congratulotions he got from his girlfriend). She faintly registered the dip of the mattress beside her as he climbed into bed, and that was all she knew until morning.

Elphaba's priorities for the remainder of their summer vacation was to ensure she had plenty of time with her family and friends, namely Ottah and his family. Although she had loved seeing the Vinkus, and meeting more of Fiyero's friends and extended family, she had missed home. And, like her parents, she was very conscious of the fact that she only had one more year at Shiz. She and Fiyero had yet to make plans for post-graduation, but she knew at some point, Munchkinland would no longer be her home. She didn't want Hallam and Arvid to forget her, as silly as that might sound. She already only got to see them in the brief windows she was home from school, and they grew and changed so quickly.

It was the night of their second full day in Munchkinland. Elphaba sat cross-legged on the bed in her nightgown, braiding her hair for sleep as Fiyero got ready for bed. Galinda would arrive the next day, and while Elphaba was eager to see her (second best) friend, Fiyero had other ideas.

They'd been at Ottah and Melia's for dinner, and a fishing trip had been proposed. Elphaba had objected to it being 'boys only' and Fiyero's first thought was "what would it take Galinda Upland to go fishing?"

"Galinda's not coming to visit so you can torture her," Elphaba reminded him now, smiling faintly.

Fiyero snorted. "No, she's coming to visit because _I'm_ visiting, and you, Nessa and Boq already live here and she doesn't want to be left out."

Elphaba shrugged. "Still."

He grinned at her. "Come on, Fae. You're saying you wouldn't pay good money to see Galinda bait a worm on a hook?"

Elphaba bit the inside of her cheek to stop her smile from spreading.

"I'd pay good money to see Galinda catch a bigger fish than you," she retorted.

Fiyero scoffed. "I can't see Galinda even _touching_ a fish."

Elphaba shrugged, tying off her braid. "I think Glin could surprise you."

He looked at her sceptically.

"Alright," he said after a pause. "Let's make a bet. We'll suggest the fishing trip to Galinda when she gets here. If she goes, baits a hook and touches a fish, you win."

Elphaba raised her eyebrows slightly in interest. "And what exactly will I win?"

Fiyero laughed. "First date of the school year," he proposed. "Winner decides, loser pays."

Elphaba considered it and nodded. "Deal."

Fiyero leaned down to kiss her to seal the deal, slipping his hands into her hair, therefore ruining her braid. But instead of deepening the kiss as she expected, he pulled away and resumed getting ready for bed.

Elphaba's eyebrows rose again, higher this time. "Um…"

"Your parents are right down the hall," Fiyero gestured, tossing his dirty clothes in her hamper and collapsing onto the bed.

"My parents are downstairs, actually," Elphaba replied.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You _know_ what I mean, Fae."

Elphaba frowned. "My parents sleep down the hall… so you can't kiss me?"

"I can kiss you," Fiyero clarified. "But we can't have sex."

Elphaba stared at him blankly. "Is _that_ why you're sleeping practically on the edge of the mattress since we've been here?"

Fiyero shrugged, a little sheepishly. "Your parents are right down the hall," he repeated. "So is your brother."

Elphaba cocked her head slightly. "It didn't bother you in the Vinkus," she pointed out.

"My parents were several _halls_ away, not a few _walls!"_ Fiyero defended himself, gesturing again.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "So, you're just not going to touch me while we're here?"

Fiyero reached over and poked her gently on the arm, making her smile.

"Cute, Tiggular," she said dryly.

She crawled over to her side of the bed and slid under the sheets.

"You're being ridiculous, you know," she said through a stifled yawn, nestling her head on the pillow as she rolled over to face him.

"I know," Fiyero admitted.

He turned off the lamp and the room was plunged into darkness. He reached out through the dark for Elphaba's hand and loosely linked their fingers together.

"Night, Fae. Love you."

She made a quiet sound that might have been either a snort or a giggle.

"Ridiculous," she muttered and rolled over onto her other side, but kept their fingers entwined.

Perhaps not entirely consciously, Fiyero had been avoiding being alone with Elphaba's father since they'd arrived. It had worked well for the first two days.

But on the third day, Galinda arrived while Annalie was helping Nessarose with her daily exercises on her legs, and after greeting them all brightly, Galinda quickly whisked Elphaba away to the guest room while she unpacked. Which just happened to leave Fiyero alone with Frex, and they both knew he had nowhere else to go.

Frex seated himself in his favourite armchair with a small sigh. Fiyero suppressed the urge to do the same as he silently perched on the edge of the couch.

"Are you looking forward to going back to school?" Frex asked him finally.

"I am actually," Fiyero admitted. "It should be a good year."

Frex's gaze flickered towards the doorway for a moment. "And after graduation?"

Fiyero stared at him blankly. "Sir?"

"Do you have any plans yet?" Frex clarified.

Fiyero gave a half- nod, half-shrug kind of gesture. "Sort of. A year of military service- Vinkun royal tradition," he explained. "And my dad's talking about setting up some internships in different sectors, to help me understand what's involved."

Actually, tradition only required six months of military service, but Fiyero had decided to complete a year.

"I want to prove to the people that I take this seriously," he'd explained to Elphaba when they had discussed it during their time in the Vinkus. "That I'm not just doing it because I have to."

Elphaba couldn't deny she'd been extremely proud of him for that reasoning.

Frex merely nodded in response to Fiyero's answer, looking thoughtful.

"I imagine you wouldn't want to take on any _extra_ responsibilities during that time," he mused.

It took Fiyero a moment to realise what he was getting at.

"Elphaba and I are in no rush to marry, Governor," he reassured him. "We both agree on that."

Frex's shoulders eased slightly, but Fiyero still noticed.

The doorbell rang, but Frex made no move to answer it. As the distant sound of Nikita's footsteps crossing the foyer filled the silence in the room, Fiyero felt the urge to speak again.

"And besides," he added quietly. "I promise that when the time comes, you'll know about it."

Frex looked at him once more. Before he could say anything, Nikita entered the room.

"Excuse me, Governor, but the mayor is here to see you."

"Thank you, Nikita," Frex said, rising to his feet.

As she left the room, he looked to Fiyero and smiled.

"Call me Frexspar, Fiyero," he said and then went to meet the mayor.

Left alone in the living room, Fiyero bounded to his feet and hurried upstairs, tapping on the door of the guest room before pushing it open.

Elphaba was half lying across the foot of the bed as Galinda unpacked her things. The first words Fiyero caught upon entering the room was Elphaba's exasperated comment of, "Galinda, I don't think it matters if you're not an _autumn_ person or not."

"It should," Galinda insisted.

"What did I miss?" Fiyero asked, sitting on the armchair in the corner of the room.

Elphaba looked mildly relieved to see him.

"Nothing much," she said. "Where were you?"

"Talking to your dad," Fiyero shrugged. "But then the mayor stopped by."

Galinda's eyes narrowed faintly. "Why do you look so smug?"

He scoffed. "I don't."

Elphaba studied his face. "You kind of do," she agreed with Galinda. "What exactly did you and Papa talk about?"

Ok, maybe Fiyero did feel a _little_ smug.

"He told me to call him 'Frexspar'," he told her.

Elphaba's eyebrows raised only slightly and then she smiled. "I guess he still likes you after all," she teased him.

Fiyero laughed.

When Galinda had finally finished unpacked and went to freshen up before dinner, Elphaba slipped downstairs to her father's study. She couldn't hear any voices from within, so she assumed the mayor had finished his business.

Frex was standing by the bookshelves when Elphaba let herself into the room and crossed the room to hug him tightly. Neither spoke.

"You'll have to forgive me, darling," Frex said finally, his throat tight as he held her. "If I sometimes still have trouble with accepting that you're grown. I _am_ trying."

Elphaba smiled, tears pricking at her eyes. "I know, Papa."

She pulled away and Frex smiled at her. "Perhaps," he said slowly. "Perhaps Fiyero could join us for lunch this week? Just this once."

She beamed at him. It didn't need to be mentioned how significant the invitation was.

"Just this once," she agreed and kissed his cheek swiftly before leaving the room as quickly as she'd come.

When they all sat down for dinner that evening, Elphaba's eyes were still alight, and the conversation around the table swelled even more as the girls and Fiyero chattered away among themselves. Annalie naturally noticed Elphaba's mood and shot a questioning look down the table to her husband.

Frex shook his head faintly, signalling he'd fill her in later. Annalie nodded and turned to Galinda.

"Is there anything you wanted to see or do while you're visiting?"

Galinda shook her head almost immediately. "Not at all. I'm completely open to suggestions."

As if he'd been waiting for his cue, Fiyero straightened in his seat and flashed a grin at Galinda.

"Hey, Glin. Are you going to come fishing with us?"

Galinda stared at him blankly from across the table. "Why in Oz's name would I do that?"

 **AN. Update on the UtEoT sequel: It has a title-** _ **Life's Epochs: Hopes, Fears and Tears**_ **. It's also not quite so "mini" anymore.**

 **Stay tuned to my social medias for more updates!**


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